The latest...

So I guess I haven't written a note in awhile, nor have I given the offical news to everyone, it is looking like I will be here till May! Pretty crazy. That is the current statis atleast...
The reason I haven't written in awhile is because I was traveling a lot through the High Holy days, which was a sweet blessing. Succot in Yerushalem ( Israeli's tell me I can't say Jerusalem anymore) was exciting. Tons of festivities, music, Jews in every direction, coming and going to the wall.At first I traveled around the country with some friends. We met up with a family up north who are beginning to cultivate the land to live off of it. They are living out of two large army tents with 12 loving children, two of them are fostered. They did everything they could to get me to stay, from guilt trips, to manipulation, to straight up piling on top of me. They refused to let me leave without giving them something to guarantee my return. So I gave them my bubble holder, but I don't think they understand how much bubbles mean to me. They thought it was an easy way out, but I know I am going back for it dangit!
This family is just getting everything started and need a lot of help so we did what we could for the three days we stayed with them. It filled my heart with goodness this life style, I think I could seriously live like that. I would just need a clean bathroom. I've realized from living here how much I value being clean, especially my feet! I know that will probably surprise some of you! hee!
Then we headed down south to a sweet hippie fest called Rainbow. It's a world wide event, the thing that that did it for me was the pile of rocks that guide you off the main highway, into a wadi that leads you to a massive "WELCOME HOME" sign and a group of hippies. It was full of good music, conversations, and bracelet making!
Settling back in Arad has been good. The kids are really beginning to warm up to me so it makes things a lot more fun and loving! Having them home all day because of the holidays has been full of parks, picnic's, sumo wrestling and the works, I love it! Randomly my heart tears a little with how much two of them resemble my own siblings. Such a strange thing to me. It increases the love in a strange, powerful way. Though It is hard to know how to love these kids sometimes, because as the love is growing in my heart for them I want to show them, but they often don't recieve well or respond well to it. The other day I wanted to swing Natan up in my arms, but I knew that would be too much contact for him. So I went with the amount of touch he seems to feel comfortable with at this point. That kinda sums it up. There is more coming together but I shall just write about it when it happens.
Such a different lifestyle here. Had Shabbat dinner with two lovely Orthodox girls that answered all my questions all night. They exposed me to the reality of not turning off the lights that are still on when shabbat starts for the next 24hrs. and many prayers before the meal, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I felt myself enter a reverent place, like I had more of a respect or awareness by keeping shabbat this way. Met a family that lives on the roof of a hostel in the Old City in tents, who wouldn't let me take their pictures because that would be a graven image. It jerked my brain a bit to realize to them I am quit the idol worshiper. Had to think and am still thinking about that one... So one of my favorite things to do is hang laundry up outside at night. The wind seems to kick up every evening and this does good things inside of me. I think I may have to return to this style of drying when I return home. But I am not sure how that will work out. Life is just slower here, so there's no rush for the clothes to be done that hour or even that day. Anyways, there it is, keep in touch...